Check out the video: https://youtu.be/aCrHhPRgQh4 Lexus’ Flagship EV The Lexus TZ appears to follow the brand’s familiar luxury formula by taking a mainstream Toyota foundation and elevating it with sharper styling, a richer cabin, and a few notable new technologies. It enters the three-row luxury EV space with competitive range, distinctive design, and thoughtful comfort features such as upscale materials, ambient lighting, and available ottomans, though its performance and

We’re a little over three weeks from Stellantis’ 2026 Investor Day, which promises to answer quite a few questions (like, “What’s the future of Chrysler?”). While we wait, Reuters has talked to multiple sources indicating Stellantis has selected four core “brands that matter” to received a “material increase” to their funding. The lucky four are Jeep, Ram, Fiat, and Peugeot; the rest would become regional (or national) brands, and “build models using technology from the four

Now that VW’s ID.Polo is officially out, I find myself... bored. Maybe it’s because we’ve been hearing about an affordable VW EV for quite a while, and we saw the nearly-identical-looking concept four years ago. I do agree the ID.Polo is handsome and well-proportioned, and I welcome the return of physical controls. It appears to offer a suitably diverse range of powertrain options with respectable (though not class-leading) performance. But, to quote Peggy Lee, “Is that all t

Since the original ES, the formula for front-wheel-drive Lexus products has been rather straightforward: take a Toyota product, reskin it with a bolder look, upgrade the interior, add some new tech, and tweak the powertrain. And because that strategy has largely worked, it’s happened again with the Lexus TZ. While Toyota’s new EV-only Highlander will be sold alongside the ICE-powered Grand Highlander, the TZ will be sold alongside the ICE-powered TX, and target the small grou

The Honda 0 Series Saloon and SUV We’ve seen a number of automakers cancelling (or delaying) EV programs lately, but it’s usually accompanies by increased investment on the ICE side of the business. For instance, Porsche cancelled the EV variant of its upcoming K1 fullsize SUV, but a Macan-sized ICE SUV is due to re-enter the portfolio in a couple of years. Similarly, Nissan cancelled its two planned US-built SUV EVs but is bringing back the Xterra and developing a new body-o

Check out the video: https://youtu.be/1WAdQvZkjBw Three For the Road Hyundai’s Ioniq 3 is a small, sporty Europe-focused EV that borrows its 400V underpinnings from the Kia EV3/EV2 but adds distinctive “Art of Steel” styling cues, strong aero for its size, and a wide range of color and wheel choices. Performance is modest (roughly 9–10 seconds to 100 km/h), but the projected EV range is competitive depending on battery, and the feature list is rich with advanced driver assist

Check out the video: https://youtu.be/Hd8pQKypr6I Smart Returns to its Roots Smart’s Concept #2 previews the next chapter for the storied city-car brand that began with Swatch’s early-1990s ambitions and reached production with the ForTwo in 1997. Built on a new Electric Compact Architecture, the #2 goes fully electric and targets roughly 186 miles of range (likely on China’s CLTC cycle), a major step up versus the outgoing model. Visually it stays close to the ForTwo’s compa

With the launch of the new electric C-Class, it appears Mercedes has finally put their EQ sub-brand to rest. Initially used on vehicle names (e.g., EQA, EQB, EQC...), and then relegated to a verbose suffix (e.g., "Mercedes-Benz G580 with EQ Technology"), the press release for the electric C doesn't contain "EQ" at all. What Mercedes has told us is that the electric C is essentially an electric GLC with a lower and sleeker profile, less mass, better aero, and better performanc

In a world that's gone SUV-crazy, the Ioniq 3 is a fashionably-styled five-door compact coupe. Rather than wait until the Beijing Motor Show, Hyundai unveiled the Ioniq 3 during (appropriately enough) Milan Design Week. Although it shares its 400V platform with the recently unveiled Kia EV3 and EV2, this is a sportier entry that picks up some flavor from the recently discontinued Veloster. The "Art of Steel" inspired exterior includes four centrally mounted lights up front an

Just as the JLR/Chery JV is taking the Freelander nameplate and building it into a brand, VW Group deployed this strategy seven years ago. The Jetta compact sedan had a strong following in China, and VW Group decided to leverage it to create a new brand targeting young, first-time buyers. The first Jettas were (of course) the original Jetta sedan, followed by several rebadged SEAT SUVs. Now, at this year's Beijing Motor Show, Jetta is being reinvented as a largely NEV (PHEV,

IMAGE: GEMINI The latest buzz about the future of GM’s electric trucks – and the imminent launch of the T1-2 next-generation Sierra and Silverado ICE models – raises some questions about where GM is going in this lucrative product segment. Let’s start with the electric side of the equation. When the Silverado EV (off the new BT1 platform) was launched, the Ford F-150 Lightning was already on the market. While the Chevy, on a dedicated EV skateboard platform, was arguably a be

Check out the video: https://youtu.be/9B1QouuYUUQ Project Nightingale Project Nightingale is Rolls-Royce’s next step in turning bespoke into a bigger profit engine, building on the success of ultra-low-volume coachbuilt cars like Boat Tail and Droptail and backed by a $407 million Goodwood expansion to grow “Bespoke and Coachbuild” capacity. Due around 2028, the enormous two-seat convertible (Phantom-sized) will be the brand’s first electric coachbuilt model, leveraging Spect

When I first saw the new Outback at last year’s New York auto show, I was not impressed. You may recall the original Outback was technically the Legacy Outback--a beefed up wagon variant of the mainstream Legacy sedan. As the years progressed, it lost the “Legacy” tag and slowly became more proficient offroad. With the latest variant, it appears Subaru has thrown out the baby with the bathwater. Q1 sales are down a staggering 31% --and this is for a new “SUV” in an SUV-crazy

IMAGE: HYUNDAI It seems to be almost impossible to keep a secret these days, but that's just what Hyundai did with the cleverly-named Boulder concept unveiled at the New York International Auto Show . With a midsize body-on-frame pickup confirmed "by 2030", my hunch is that they brought the Bronco-esque SUV to New York to gauge customer reaction. You may recall that the Santa Cruz was described by Hyundai as "one of the most researched concepts we have ever done." Unfortuna

This year’s JD Power Automotive Forum, which preceded the New York International Auto Show last week, was once again an opportunity to catch up on the retail side of the business (which is always educational for me) as well as emerging industry trends. The up-front global economic outlook and U.S. automotive outlook set the stage, with the expected array of less-than-encouraging numbers: labor market challenges, the retail sales shift from discretionary to essential goods

In lieu of a traditional news roundup this week, let me take you on a video walk-through of this year’s NYIAS to check out the significant newcomers on display, including… Infiniti QX65 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Chevrolet Bolt Porsche Cayenne Electric VW Atlas Subaru Getaway Kia PV5 Taxi Kia EV3 Kia Seltos Chrysler Pacifica Ram Promaster City Genesis G90 Wingback Genesis GV60 Magma Hyundai Boulder #electricvehicle #automotive #autoperspectives #infiniti #qx65 #chevrolet

Check out the video: https://youtu.be/f7FTjwMgkUc?si=YKvp7RcK4uGgRMKU AMG Gets an SUV Mercedes‑AMG is preparing its first standalone SUV, expanding the GT family beyond the SL and GT coupes with a fully electric performance flagship aimed squarely at the Porsche Cayenne Electric and BMW’s upcoming iX5. Riding on the new AMG.EA platform rather than a repurposed Mercedes architecture, the GT SUV is expected to use Yasa axial‑flux motors in a high‑output multi‑motor configuratio

Check out the video ! Rivian’s R2 Gets Real The Rivian R2, first previewed as a prototype two years ago , has now been formally detailed as a compact electric SUV launching initially in higher‑priced trims, with standard, premium, and performance models ranging from about $49,000 to $58,000, while the originally promised $45,000 version is delayed until later in 2027. In dual‑motor form it delivers a striking 656 horsepower, outperforming luxury rivals like the Mercedes GLC E

You might recall that Renault Group’s 2021 ‘Renaulution’ strategy included the reboot of Alpine as an all-electric performance brand (which sounded a lot like a French Porsche), with the help of an unspecified “top-notch player”. Two years later, they announced plans for a seven-model range for 2030, which included an A310 (a 2+2 based on the next-generation electric Alpine A110’s platform) and two new “D/E segment cars” (reportedly targeting the Porsche Cayenne). But the lat

I don't understand why BMW is tying itself into Gordian knots trying to explain their new steering wheel. According to BMWBlog , BMW design chief Adrian van Hooydonk talked about the new design in a briefing ahead of the i3’s world premiere. The discussion addressed the twin vertical spokes and the ‘elimination’ of the horizontal spokes. “We began to make the steering wheel smaller and flat on the top and on the bottom. In order to see that display, we needed to open up the s